Monday night‘s meeting occurred after a gap of three weeks from the Canterbury Neighbourhood Centre and it was nice for everyone to get together and enjoy a delicious meal of ribs and jacket potato with sour cream.
Our speaker, Colleen D'Offay from DIK, gave an in-depth discussion about how DIK is managed, who receives the the goods that are sent in containers both overseas and into our community, and how local Rotary clubs can obtain goods for their local projects.
The intervening time since the last meeting has been busy with the several cluster club activities- International Women’s Day breakfast, trivia night, and our club barbecues at Bunnings and Keiser which were both very successful in raising money for the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre food pantry.
We have been asked for help from BlazeAid, who are organising hands on deck for repairs in the Longwood area, which was ravaged by the bushfires, as well as DIK requesting tools to be sent to to the areas requiring repair. We have asked that members bring any tools that they can donate to the meeting next Monday and they will then be transported to DIK.
We have a FaM packing session at Caulfield Grammar on 31st March and also will most likely be planting around the Peace Poles in Victoria Park on April 11th. We will need members to support for both occasions. Rimern always needs help. And last but not least there is the Rotary District Conference in Horsham on the 28th and 29th of March. Spaces at the conference are still available but accommodation is probably difficult.
Hopefully this coming week will be peaceful and relaxing and I’ll see you all next Monday.
On Monday night we learned about the way Donations In Kind runs. Established in 1978, it has a wide range of services. At any given time, there are 1,500 pallets of items in the enormous 3,400 square metre warehouse.
Our speaker, Colleen D'Offay , the Manager of Donations in Kind, detailed the sort of attention required to make this outlet the icon which it is. For instance, the type of beds taken from hospitals, the metal ones. are better suited to hospitals in the third world. Colleen sends people to head up medical teams to train individuals in third world nations. This coincides with the ten year cycle of equipment change in hospitals her in Australia.
Another example she described was the way education items are selected, up to Year Levels 7 and 8..This limits what can be stored at DIK in the West Footscray Warehouse. School uniforms change quite frequently. Logos on school uniforms change over time, so they are sent overseas. Another feature of DIK is that some items are hired out to the Australian Open, and for movie companies.
The main problem which DIK faces is the increase in rent due to the increase in land tax. Colleen understands the peculiarities of certain countries. For instance, only medical items can be shipped into Cambodia.
We can assist DIK in many ways- by telling DIK about beds (the right kind) in nursing homes. collecting glasses for the Philippines Eye and Ear Mission, by de-selecting items which DIK will not accept in the warehouse.
In summary, DIK has DGR status, and thus, any project becomes elevated and expansive in the way it is implemented. When we choose to volunteer to DIK in West Footscray, there are always jobs to be done.
Colleen provided us with an expansive and detailed analysis of the kind of work which DIK does. It is breath-taking and awesome. DIK lives up to its name as an icon of the realm of Rotary.
Education CHANCES began in 2006 after commissioned research highlighted considerable levels of scattered poverty and social isolation in Boroondara. The Boroondara community ranks number one for relative advantage in Victoria. Despite the wealth around them, over 4,000 young people, aged 12-18, live in households with incomes that place them below the poverty line. Finding support in a relatively affluent area can be challenging as people may feel shame in asking for help and the support that is available is often less accessible and resourced.
Education is the key to breaking people out of a generational poverty cycle. The mission of Education CHANCES is to harness the power of education and inclusion, by providing scholarships to young people in Boroondara in Melbourne's East.
The Canterbury Rotary Club lunch group usually meets bi-weekly at 12.30 for a meal and some fun. Above are members enjoying lunch yesterday at Box Hill RSL.
David Zrna looks after the reservations for the lunch group. Please contact David at david.zrna@canterburyrotary.org or on 0467033092 to advise that you will be coming to a lunch.
Caulfield Grammar Caulfield Campus – Tuesday 31 March 2026
As advised, we will be holding the event in the new senior building.
It’s a 3-4 storey red brick building with the entrance directly off Merriwoola Street. The event will be held on the ground floor just inside the building entrance, on the right.
Car parking is in the car park off Tantram Avenue (Surrounded by a new wooden fence).
Merriwoola Street is off Glen Eira Road. If coming from Hawthorn Street end and turning left it is the last street on the left at the end of the school campus. Follow Merriwoola street and turn right into Trantrum Avenue and then left into the carpark.
If coming the other way and turning from Orrong Road, Merriwoola Street is the 1st street on the right. Then, turn right again into Tantram Avenue and then left into the carpark.
We need to go to reception to sign in and receive a school lanyard. The teacher contact is Matt Lander.
I will send our WWC details but bring your WWC just in case.
We will set up at 11.45am with packing 1pm – 2.30pm then pack up.
The truck can park on the forecourt area and stay there for the entire event.
The Multi-District Impact Summit will be held in the vibrant regional city of Horsham, Victoria. This isn't just another conference; it's a powerful collaboration where Districts 9800, 9780 and 9510 will Unite for Good.
This year's summit brings together three districts to amplify our collective power and drive meaningful change. The conference be focusing on the incredible things we can achieve when we work together, sharing our successes, and planning our future impact. Check the flyer for information or click on https://www.rotaryimpactsummit.org/
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